Abigail Heringer is the subject of recent rumors claiming the Bachelor in Paradise star may have played a role in The Bachelorette couple Dale Moss and Clare Crawley's breakup.
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Abigail, who has been shown dating Noah Erb on Bachelor in Paradise's currently-airing seventh season, got dragged into the drama when Clare tagged the fan-favorite bachelorette in her post.
Clare wrote in the post, "I hate that I even have to say this, but in response to all the questions that are coming my way right now... I'm choosing not to speak right now on the details of my relationship, because at the end of the day anyone can put on an ACT or throw words together to form any narrative they want."
"What I will speak on is emotionally and physically I'm going through a lot with healing from my recent [breast-implants removal] surgery still, and my mother being placed on hospice care now."
Clare continued, "So my energy is focused on grieving, healing, and being present at home here in Sacramento while trying to share and help others going through similar life experiences as I'm sharing today."
"I am just thankful for the people in my life who offer genuine unconditional love with no personal gain, and stand by me through thick and thin," Clare added.
"ESPECIALLY WHEN THE CAMERAS ARE OFF with no accolades. Actions speak for themselves."
Clare's emphasis on certain words and phrases seemed to be the Season 16 The Bachelorette star taking jabs at Dale.
And Clare posted her statement hours after gossip Instagram account @Deuxmoi shared a anonymous tip that read, "A Bachelor favorite hooked up with a Bachelor Nation recent 'winner' who 'may or may not have been' on a break earlier this year. One of them is on Paradise right now but producers won't mess up her good girl edit.'"
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A source told Us Weekly that Dale and Abigail "hooked up" before Bachelor in Paradise began filming, when the financial manager from Oregon was "under the impression that he and Clare weren't serious" anymore.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELORETTE' COUPLES NOWThe source claimed that Clare had found out about the alleged affair from the rumors circulating online the day of her post and so she chose to tag Abigail in her photo -- which featured Clare's hand holding her mother's hand -- to show her followers that she was well aware of the rumors.
Abigail reportedly later untagged herself from Clare's post, but she has yet to post a statement or response.
While it appears Clare is convinced the model and former football player had hooked up with Abigail earlier this year, an insider close to Dale denied the rumor and rushed to his defense.
"They met once at flag football in New York City that a bunch of Bachelor people attended. Everyone went to a bar after, they did not sleep together. He's never cheated on Clare," the insider said, adding that Dale and Abigail "never kissed or had sex."
"Dale is friends with Abigail," the insider insisted.
The insider also revealed that Dale had traveled to Sacramento, CA, on September 28 to spend quality time with Clare and her mother, who is battling Alzheimer's.
"He spent the night at Clare's place on Tuesday, and flew to L.A. Wednesday morning" for a fitness event with The Bachelorette alum Tyler Cameron, according to the insider.
Both Dale and Tyler were reported in great spirits despite their recent breakups. (Tyler was reportedly dumped by his model girlfriend, Camila Kendra, in August after eight months of dating).
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"Dale seemed to be in a good mood. He was very sweet and took a ton of pictures and b-roll as part of his appearance," a third source told Us last week.
"He did not speak to any media. He told reporters, out of respect for Clare, himself and Bachelor Nation he just didn't want to do any interviews and appreciates the respect and privacy."
Amid the drama, Abigail's Bachelor in Paradise love interest, Noah, seemingly addressed the speculation on his Instagram Stories this past weekend.
Noah said, "So, I just checked my phone and I saw some DMs and some spoiler accounts and a lot of interesting stuff swirling around. Huh."
A woman could then be heard giggling in the background, leading fans to assume that he and Abigail are still dating and she finds the Dale rumors funny.
Clare, however, certainly isn't laughing. She took to Instagram on Sunday and explained how she refuses to "stay down."
"I'll be dammed if I let it all take me out, so amidst all this, I'm taking steps even if [they] are small," Clare wrote on her Instagram Story, according to Us.
"I will feed myself the right food, drink some water and handle it the best I know how. I want you to know the messages of support + love from my Insta fam haven't gone unnoticed."
Clare and Dale broke up for the first time in January 2021 after getting engaged on The Bachelorette finale last year, and multiple sources had described Dale as a "fame-seeker" at the time.
"[Dale] doesn't want to give up the party life. He loves the NYC scene," a source told E! News earlier this year. "His partying would be a problem in their relationship and would cause many fights."
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Reports also swirled in January that Dale had cheated on Clare, which he firmly denied in the press.
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But it appears their reconciliation was short-lived, and Clare hinted on social media that trust had something to do with their latest breakup.
A source told The New York Post last week that Clare and Dale's relationship "didn't end well" in September and the pair couldn't agree on multiple significant relationship issues, including what state they to live in and when to start having children.
Breakup rumors sparked when fans noticed Dale had celebrated his 33rd birthday late last month without Clare, and he was also spotted in public multiple times with friends -- at a movie screening and Coldplay concert -- but not the blonde beauty.
In addition, Dale also reportedly attended the September 19 wedding of a friend by himself even though Clare had also been invited as Dale's guest.
"Wedding planning wasn't happening which made Clare really upset," a source previously told Us.
"She wants to be in Sacramento to be close to her family, especially her mom who isn't well. Dale wants to remain in NY. They will still support each other and have love for each other no matter what."
Three weeks have passed since Clare and Dale lasted posted anything about each other on Instagram, and they are typically very vocal about their romance and whereabouts.
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The last Instagram post of Clare and Dale together dates back to September 10, when Clare shared a slideshow of photos from the U.S. Open tennis tournament, one of which featured Dale by her side along with fellow The Bachelorette couple Katie Thurston and Blake Moynes.
Earlier this summer, Clare and Dale's relationship seemed stronger than ever. They had even been spotted wearing matching rings.
"They are engaged again, but a second proposal did not happen," a source close to Clare told E! News in July. "Clare has been wearing her ring for months and put it back on once Dale stepped up and they decided to give their relationship another shot."
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"They had a conversation over a month ago about their future and decided that they wanted to be engaged again... They aren't rushing anything and aren't even living together permanently yet."
An insider also told Us at the time that Clare and Dale were "happy" together and very much in love.
Clare's journey on The Bachelorette's sixteenth season in 2020 ended prematurely after about two weeks. Producers planned a steamy overnight date for the couple and then Dale proposed marriage seemingly the next day.
Once Tayshia Adams took over Clare's The Bachelorette season, Clare and Dale sat down with host Chris Harrison during a November 2020 episode and expressed how they both believed they had found love at first sight.
When Chris asked what was next for the couple, Clare immediately shouted, "Babies!"
But Dale noted he'd like to get married before welcoming children.
"I've never been afraid of commitment," Dale told People in a joint interview with Clare last year. "And when I met Clare, I knew I was all in. She lights a fire in me that I was missing for so long."
But on January 19, Dale announced he and Clare had decided to split and arrived at "the healthiest decision" for the "both" of them.
Clare then revealed two days later she had actually been blindsided by Dale's public statement.
Clare wrote on Instagram, "I was made aware of a 'mutual' statement at the same time you all were, so I've needed some time to really digest this."
Clare admitted she was "crushed" by the breakup given her intentions to settle down with Dale and start a family had "always been very clear."
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Dale insisted on his Instagram Stories in late January that he loved and respected Clare and "wanted nothing more" than to make their relationship work.
"I put my heart and soul into it each and every day. And I wanted nothing more than to build a healthy relationship," Dale insisted, later adding that he was "hurting" from the breakup.
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About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
